Hitch a Ride to These Pumpkin Patches in Eastern CT

Pumpkin season has arrived. Whether your child loves to play pumpkin drums, make rolling pumpkin art, decorate it with googly eyes, take a hammer to its face, or help you bake a pie, pumpkin-picking is a must-do fall activity. We’ve scoured Eastern Connecticut to find that perfect pumpkin….and double bonus, we found corn mazes, too. All you have to do is pick the one closest to your house. For more fun fall ideas, sign up for our weekly newsletter and check out our Halloween and Fall Fun Guide.

Buell’s Orchard - Eastford
Open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the farm offers pick-your-own pumpkins from late September through end of October. During Columbus Day weekend, celebrate the autumn season with a fall festival, complete with barbeque, apple picking, fresh cider, delicious doughnuts, and live entertainment.

108 Crystal Pond Road, Eastford 860-974-1150

Devon Point Farm - Woodstock
Open daily, with pumpkins for sale and free hayrides and antique apple cider press demonstrations on the weekends. Don't leave without sampling the delicious apple cider donuts.

54 Joy Road, Woodstock 860-974-9004

Holmberg Orchards - Gales Ferry
Open daily from 9-6, but keep in mind the corn maze closes at 5:30. Tractor rides offered on weekends. Gourmet farm market - with lots of local products - and winery also on site.

12 Orchard Lane, Gales Ferry 860-464-7305

Scott’s Yankee Farmer - East Lyme
For the 2017 season, the corn maze is open from September 1 through October 30, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. In addition to PYO pumpkins, there are wagon rides on weekends ($3 per person; children ages 3 and younger are free) beginning September 16.

436 Boston Post Road, East Lyme 860-739-5209

Preston Farm - Preston
"We love to get you lost," according to the farm website. Game on. Count on 3-5 miles to trek and set aside 2 hours for family fun. The themed corn mazes are challenging and exhilarating, and each year brings something new. Previous themes include the Wild West, the Titanic, Pirates of the Corn, and Jurasic Fields. Open weekdays 2 p.m. to dusk, and weekends and holidays 10 a.m. to dusk.

92 Route 2, Preston 860-886-MAZE (6293)

Buttonwood Farms - Griswold
This place is really as cute as a button. The bread and butter is an ice creamery (enough said), but the corn maze is right around the corner, and included in the price of admission are duck races, a corn crib, straw mountain, games, and access to the pumpkin patch (charges apply). Admission is $8.50 plus tax for anyone over 2. Open weekends from September 16 to October 29, from 10 a.m. to dusk.

472 Shetucket Turnpike, Griswold 860-376-4081

Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm Corn Maze - Sterling
They're just trying to out-cute each other out East. Ekonk Hill also has farm-fresh ice cream, along with animals, and hayrides. The corn maze takes you through miles of paths, and is open September 2 through October 29. This year's theme is "Under the Sea." Admission is $10 for ages 10 and up, $7 for ages 3-10, and free for 2 and under (plus tax). Open weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Columbus Day and Labor Day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The night maze is open October 7, 14, 21, and 28, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (last entry at 8 p.m.). Bring flashlights.

227 Ekonk Hill Road, Sterling 860-564-0248

Fort Hill Farms - Thompson
Grab a game sheet and go on an adventure through a corn maze with raised platforms that offer beautiful views. When the season ends, the corn is fed to cows that produce The Farmer's Cow milk. Admission is $12 for adults, and $10 children for children under 12. Open SEVEN days, with flashlight nights on Friday and Saturday.